As my time in New York winds down, I look back on what I have learned here:
- I have realized many more things about myself: personal defects, what I can fix in my struggles, and that I am not alone in this. It helps to go to groups and hear others talk about their experiences. We really are not so different.
- The hustle bustle of a city is for me, but it also depends on how people come off to one another. This was the first time for me to stay in New York for an extended amount of time. Before I stayed here, I remember how people always said that New Yorkers are rude. After this month, I beg to differ. Here, I felt that even among the anonymous numbers of people I walked by, they were not afraid to exchange a smile or make small-talk. That small-town feeling in a big city; I rarely had this feeling in San Francisco. For instance, while standing in line at Korilla BBQ, the lady behind me asked me, “What kind of food do they serve here?” And I explained the fusion of Korean and Mexican foods with her and we laughed at how long we stood in line together and hoped for the food to be worth the wait.
- Family is so precious, and it is especially precious to watch my niece and nephew grow up. I love watching children learn and grow; it’s a wonder I’m not a mother yet. Well, I have my own goals to take care of first.
- It doesn’t hurt to indulge in popular culture every once in awhile. I realize that the fashion scene is so much more fun here! Or, at least, fashionable stores are much more accessible for me here than in San Francisco. Then again, I’m here in Manhattan in the middle of it all…not out in the boroughs.
So here’s to my time in New York and the memories made during this month.